On Monday, OpenAI unveiled its new search engine capability, now available to all registered users. Named ChatGPT Search, this feature allows users to find answers to their inquiries by utilizing contextual information sourced from the internet, including various websites and blogs. The initial announcement came in July with the introduction of a prototype known as SearchGPT, which was initially tested by a select group. Subsequently, in November, the feature was made available to subscribers of the paid version of the chatbot. The recent expansion now includes users on the free tier of the platform.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search Accessible Without Subscription
On the eighth day of OpenAI’s 12-day feature rollout, the company made ChatGPT Search accessible to all users of its AI chatbot. This web search functionality can be activated both manually and automatically within the chatbot’s interface. To reduce reliance on external search engines and address challenges related to web crawling, OpenAI developed its own search engine for this feature.
When users access ChatGPT via web or mobile applications, they will find a new globe icon adjacent to the ‘Attach file’ icon in the text entry field. By clicking this icon, users can switch to web search mode, allowing the AI to source data directly from the internet rather than relying on its pre-existing knowledge base. OpenAI noted that the feature can also activate automatically for related queries.
ChatGPT Search is capable of browsing multiple websites to gather information on a query and synthesizing it into coherent natural language responses. The origins of the information presented are indicated in two different ways: an icon is displayed after each relevant sentence, and a comprehensive source list appears at the bottom of the response.
In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI announced that users of ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro will soon have access to the Search feature with Advanced Voice mode, which is expected to be rolled out over the next week.
Moreover, OpenAI revealed additional updates, including the introduction of maps within the mobile app versions of ChatGPT. This enhancement allows users to search for and discuss local eateries, businesses, and points of interest, with assurances that the map information will remain current.
